Signaling apparatus.



R. GFYOUNG.

' SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2'1191].

1 ,273,979. Patented July 30, 1918;

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

QTERDY STGRDY R; e. YOUNG.

SIGNALING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FI LED JULY 21.1917;

Patented July 30, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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'R. G. YOUNG.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 'JULY 2|. 1917.

Patented July 30, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 CAUTION ME" ON CAGE nan ROBERT GEORGE YOUNG, OF BREAM, ENGLAND.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jilly 30, 1918.

Application filed July 21, 1917. Serial No. 181,985.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT Gnonon YOUNG, subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residingat Knockly Cottage, Bream, in the county of Gloucester, England, have invented new-and useful Improvements in Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a Specification;

This invention relates to signaling apparatus of the type used in-mines and is of that class termed non-cumulative, in which the signaling operation is effected by means of two ratchet wheels one driring the other through a unidirectional clutch, the retaining detent of one ratchet wheel being controlled in operation by a timing device and a cautionary signal is exhibited when men are in the cage, and has for 1ts ob ectthe improved construction and arrangement of apparatus of this type-wherebythe present regulations of the Coal- Mines-Act 1911 of Great Britain are fully complied with, a

single pointer only is necessary to indicate he particular signal given, a cautionary signal is set when menare going to travel in the cage and remains visible until the end of the wind unless canceled by the signaler, the cancellation of any signal can only be effected in one of two ways while the cage is in motion, either automatically during the op ration of the winding gear when the cage is reaching-or has-nearly reached the end of its journey, or by signaling the last number on the dial, say 8, and lastly signal No. l,

which according to the regulations is used to indicate Sto and Start is )rovided with the specific indication of either-Stop or Start,*tl1e GXlllbltlOiLOf which is con trolled by the operation of the winding gear.

The invention consists in arranging mech anism as hereinafter described to carry out the above objects comprising a ratchet wheel upon an'axiswithin a frame which wheel is spring or weight urged in one direction, for example, counter clockwise. With this ratchet wheel engagesadog'mounted upon a movable member connected'to the onsetters orbank'smans communication cord or wire. A pivoted detent or-equivalent means j is mounted on the frame in order to prevent the backward motion of the'ratchet wheel when moved forward by the dog on the movable member. This dog is adapted to co-act with a tripping lever controlled'by a s time device such as a dash pot; Theratchet wheel co-acts with a second ratchet -wheel also spring or weight urged in onedirection through the medium of a unidirectional clutch, and is retained from backward movementby a pawl, the movement of which is a controlled by adevice in co-action with the engine movement or with the cage so as to become operat ve when the cage has reached a given position in the shaft. The first i V *atchetwlieel will return to'the' zero position when its detent is released by the dash pot reaching its lower terminal position.

When the first ratchet wheel is moved space of three teeth means are through the provided on said ratchet wheel to cause at this point the exhibition'of the cautionary and said signal is signal Men on cage kept in position by retaining means adapted e to be released either by the engine movement or the cage movement when the latter has attained a given position lllfille shaft, .or by means provided on the second ratchet wheel adapted to come into action when the ratchet wheel has been moved through the space of S teeth. carries the pointer which indicates on the steps made by the onsetter or banksman. Eachratchet wheel is conveniently provided with a drum around which a cord is wound This second ratchet wheel dial the number of consecutive signaling,

at the end of which is suspended ,a weight to urge the ratchet 'wheel'ln 'an ant clock wise direction.

The device operated by the engine movement or by the cage reaching a given point? in its ourney, s adapted to act upon' a deg; vice pivoted about tIIl LXlS 1n a state of 1111- j stableequilibrium, so arranged thatwhen the engine movement haspulled-the device) past the point of unstable equilibrium gravity will complete the movement and cause electrically or otherwise: the release] of the retaining pawlof the ratchetwheel of the second drum when the cage'reaches I a predeteri'nined turns to zero.

point so that the pointer re- Ifv the signals are given sufficiently rapidly the sluggish movementof the dash p'o't are,

vents the 'detent of theratchet wheel offthcf first drum fromcomin'g'out of action,or

another signal is given; while one is alreadv on the indicator unattended to the ordm ry" 'cumulatlve effect from a series of pulls-of the communication cord is rendered of j non 'cumulatlve effect owing to the mova le fmen'iber connected to the bainksmans com mum-cation cord cosacting witlithe d'e'tent of the second ratchet whe'filfse'as tolift l out of action at each stroke} The qualifying order of Stop or Start to No. 1 signal is effected by a plate which bears the two words so that one or other can be exhibited in proximity to No. 1 through an aperture in the dial. lVhen a signal has been given,- for example to lower, directly the engine moves, a device operated thereby puts into action a mechanism which enables the signal say Start already exhibited to be canceled and the signal Stop to be exhibited when one pull is given on the communication cord.

Means are also provided whereby any attempt to signal when the engine is in motion causes the qualifying signal Stop to immediately appear and the pointer to move to No. 1 with a corresponding ring.

In order that the invention may be the better understood I will now proceed to describe the same in relation to the accompanying drawings, reference being had to the letters and figures marked thereon. Like letters refer to like parts in the various figures, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the device with parts in position after an order to step has been executed.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the rear frame plate with its associated parts.

Fig. 1 is a rear view of the front frame plate and part of the dial plate.

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the rear frame plate.

Fig. 6 is a front view of the front frame plate. 7

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the dial plate with the qualifying signal Stop in position as shown in Fig. 1 with the engine at rest.

Fig. 8 is a similar view but showing the detent for retaining the Stop signal in position tripped by the banksmans cord so that the signal Start appears.

Fig. 9 is a .view of the same mechanism as shown in Fig. 8 but pushed into the inner position by the movement of the engine.

Fig. 10 is a view of the same mechanism but with the signal Stop raised into the exhibited position by the operation of signaling U0. 8 by eight pulls of the banks mans cord or the action of the electromagnetic control at a predetermined position in thetravel of the cage.

Fig. 11 is a front view of the device with the signals No. 3, Caution men on cage 7 and Start given together with the arrangement operated by the engine for controlling the Stop signal.

Fig. 12 is a. view of the depth indicator fitted with an electric switch arrangement with action depending on unstable equilibrium of a moving mass. I

To carry the invention into effect I for a framework consisting of a front plate a and a back plate a connected together by distance pieces a and on the front plate a, a dial a is mounted. In the back plate a is rigidly held an axle Z) upon which is loosely mounted a ratchet wheel 5 to which is attached a drum 17 carrying a cord 1) at the end of which is attached a weight 6 Upon a fixed pivot b is mounted a detent Z) which engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel Z). Adjacent to the ratchet wheel I) is a sliding bar 0 to which the banksmans or onsetters cord 0 is attached. The bar a is adapted to slide in guides 0 and pivotally carries a pivoted dog 0 so arranged as to co-act with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 5. The bar 0 also carries a rod 0 projecting rearwardly through a slot in the plate a and enters the slot 0 in the flattened portion 0 of the piston rod (Z so as to raise the piston in the dashpot (Z at each operation of the bar 0 by the onsetter or banksman. The detent b has a tail lever b which rests upon the bent end (Z of a lever cl pivotally mounted on the rear side of the back plate a. The opposite end (Z of this lever is disposed withing a slotted bridle (Z connected to the piston rod cZ and a timing device or dash pot d. On the axle b is also mounted a second ratchet wheel 6 which also has a drum 6, cord 6 and weight 6 The ratchet wheel 6 is operated by a unidirectional clutch disposed between the two drums consisting of a pin e on the drum Z2 which enters an annular groove 6 in the drum 6. The annular groove 6 does not extend the whole distance around a small solid portion 6 being left to form a driving abut-ment. A detent f is mounted on a fixed pivot f supported in the front plate a and has a short tail piece f At the upper end of the detent f is a pin i which projects through the circular slot 7 in the front plate a. The drum e carries a sleeve 6 at the outer end of which is fastened the pointer e which registers with the various signals 0 to 8 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 11. The zero position of the ratchet wheel 6 is determined by a pin 6 carried thereby which contacts with a fixed abutment mounted on the back plate a. The ratchet wheel 6 also carries a pin 6 which is located at such a position that when the bar 0 has been operated three times it contacts with the right angles lever g slidingly mounted on a pin g mounted on the front of the back plate a. The ratchet wheel 6 also carries a shrouding 6 so that when 8 strokes have been carried out by the bar 0 the shrouding Z1 prevents the dog- 0 from engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel Z). 7

On the rear side of the plate a is mounted a plate a on which the cautionary signal Men on cage is indicated and this signal a. This bar is retained in the upper position by a detent it carried by an axle h pivotally mounted in the plates at and a and having a lever k the end of which co-actswith a bar If slidingly mounted on a pivot It. The bar h has a projecting tooth k extending laterally so as to come into the path of the bent end clv of thelever d has been moved into the said path by the pin 6 contacting with 'the right angled' lever g. The slotted. arrangement on the right angled lever g is for the purpose of allowing this lever to recede from the ratchet wheel I) when the pin b passes it on the return stroke, the movement of the lever g in the opposite direction being re stricted-by a stop 9 The signal 1 on the dial has an aperture 2' behind which is mounted a vertically sliding plate i on the front of WhlOh are inrear of the dial a so as to slide a certain distancein a lateral direction, and this sliding movement is effected by the bar a? beingconnected to a bell crank lever is, an arm of which engages with a weight is slidingly mounted upon an axle c and revolved by an angular. toothed clutch k driven by bevel gearing is through a wheel l c operated by the engine or associated gearing.

The detent 2" is tripped out ofengagement with. the link i when in the position shown in Fig. 7 by means of a sliding piece i mounted on the back of the'dial 2' 9 carried by and'projecting from the sliding ba'rc. I f When the bars 2' and i are in theirlnnermost position as shown in Fig. 9, the ,right' hand end of the bar iiis so disposedias to be immediately over the pin f On the slidingbarois niounted a later-.

-21 ally extending arm i -which engages with I i the under side of hfld ilifi h on raismg same *the pm ft engages the under slde of the bar 2' and raisesit so that the detent V 2' maintains it" in the upper:position asfindicated in Fig. 10; i -whenftl're engine-is'tationary the parts of this device are as indicated in-Figr7. T f

On the ratchet wheel'e is mounted a pin 6 which is located 'on the eighth tooth from the zero positionofthe'wheele inrelation to the normal location of the hooked end 6 formed at the end-of a bar 6 which latwhen the bar If cator Z a pivoted device Z veniently be in the form of a tube contain a which is operatedby a lever i by means of a bar the detent b ter isslidingly mounted on the rearside of the plate-a and pivotally connected to 'a lever a. the end of which is also connected to the bar at carrying thecurtain a When the signal 8 is given by the onsetter or banksman end 6 and raises the bar 6, lever bar a and with it the curtain a the cautionary signal f Men on cage.

Iii-order to effect the cancellation of a-signal when the cage has arrived at anypredetermined position, viz., just before the end of the wind, I arrange on the depth indiing' mercury. This device has two fingers Z Z adapted to coact with a pin Z carried by the pointer Z of the depth indicator; The tube Z carries two contact producers Z which 'during -thepivotal movement of the tube Z- wipe electrical contacts-l in order to so as to cancel .70 the pin e comes-in contact with thehooked which may conclose" an electric circuit. Itwill be seen that V i when the pointer Z in'contacting with one of the fingers Z has tilted the tube Z past the horizontal the mercury running from one end to the otherend of the tube will overbalance the same and the tube l v will take upthe'position shown in full-lines on the left handside which represents the electrical switch for the opposite end of the wind to that indicated in dotted lines 011 the right hand: side. This electrical switch is adapted to control the electromagnetm shown in Fig. 4, the armature m of which operates a lever m connected by a bar m pivoted to another lever m? loosely mounted upon the pivot)" and adapted to pivoted to the lever 6 so that whenthe signal .Men on cage is exhibited and'th'e cage arrives at'a predetermined point in its travel, the electromagnet acts onthe armature m',leVer m in such a way that the pin m contacting with the bottom of the slot m causes thejcurtain may be raised to cancelthe signall\ien on cage? Theoperationot the device is as folcontact with the tail end' f of the detent ffl The tail'end of the lever 971 has a pm m which engages in a slot m in the bar 772 lows: When the banksman or "onsetter pulls -his cord c any number of times sufficiently rapidlyith'e dog '0 of the ratchet" wheel 'b the dashp'ot' d *is] raised?" If however too much time is allowed to elapse between the picks up one tooth at each stroke, and, 7 the ratchet wheel is retained in positionby at thesame'tiine the pistonof into operation by the piston dropping and the bridle ,clfcarried thereby in dropping V raisesfthebentend 61 of the lever dand withdraws the detent 6 out of co-action quently returns to zero.i If eight pulls are given on the cord o theshrouding Z2 contacts with the dog 0 and prevents any furwith the ratchet Wheel which latter'oonse I ther engagement with. the ratchet wheel;

comes into the path of the bent end d of the lever (Z and as the dash pot 03 comes into operation it not only trips the detent Z) and allows the ratchet wheel I) to return to zero but in addition it raisesthe bar k which in turn operates the lever h aXle h anddetent h permitting the bar a to drop and with it the curtain a thus'exhibiting the cautionary signal Men on cage. Assam ing now the cage is to be lowered the banksman pulls the cord 0 twice. The first stroke releases the detent 7 from the ratchet wheel 6 so that the latter returns toward zero and at the, same time the detent 2' is tripped allowing the qualifying signal Start to appear at No. 1. As the engine begins to move the effort-to drive the weight 70 causes it to be raised by the action of the angular toothed clutch 70 so that the bar i is forced inward ready for co-action with the pin f on the next signal beinggiven. Just before the end-of the wind the pointer Z tilts the tube Z and completes the electric circuit so thatthe electroanagnet m raises the detent 7" and cancels the signal- It will thus be seen that a signal can either be canceledautomatically by the engine or the cage in its travel or by pulling eight times on the cord so that the dash pot when it comes into. action allows the mechanism to return to zero. The second stroke picks upthe ratchetwheel e and carries it around to signal No. 2.

In conclusion it maybe pointed out that the following features are obtainedby this invention i (1-) The signals are non-cumulative.

(2') When a signal is given it can only be canceled while the cage is in motion by (a) The winding gear when the cage reaches a predetermined position; or

(b) Signaling the designed canceling number, which remains in VlBW- until the next signal is given.

(3) A signal when once given 'is in evidence until canceled.

(at) The signal 1 is emphasized as to whether it means stop or start.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for (5') Should the signal 1' be given when the engine isstanding the signal 1 To start is shown but should the engine be in motion the action of signaling shows the qualifying signal Stop.

I; claim 1'. A signaling apparatus winding engineand the like comprising in combination, a

dialibearingsignaling designations, a mov-- inforced at each movement of the movable member adapted to release thedetent from the said ratchet wheel, a second ratchet wheel co-axially mounted with and adapted to be unidirectionally driven. by the first ratchet wheel,.a signaling pointer carried by said-secondratchet wheel and located in relation to-said dial, a retaining detent for said second ratchet wheel, means carriedby saidmovable member for releasing said detent at each stroke, a. cautionary signal independent of said; dial signals normally not exhibitedadapted to bei-put into normal position by said second'ratchet wheel when a predetermined signal, say 8, is given, automatic retaining means for: same and releasingmeans for said signal adapted to be opera-ted by the said first ratchet wheel when another predetermined signal, say 3., is given, substantially as described.

2;. A- signaling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a motor, a device. operable by said motor, said device being capable of occupying twopositions indicating Stopf and Start respectively,

and means operativelyconnecting the movable .member to said device whereby the latter will occupy one position or the other according as said motor is active or inactive.. V

3. An apparatus asclaimed combination with a control device operated by the-engineer cageat a predetermined in claim 1 in point: in-.itS:tra-Veladapted to cancel. the

order just before the completion substantially asdescribed.

In; testimony whereof Ihave signed two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT GEORGE YOUNG. Witnesses: A i 7 WILLIAMYWILFRED Domini HAZELDENE, WILLIAM NASH Stine (lomirona;

name to this specification in the presence of? Washington, D. 0.? p

thereof,

fivecents. each, by addressing the Commissioner'olcrateiita, 

